Improvement in tooth-pick holders



Patented Feb.6,1877.

No.186,95Z.

N.PErE Rs. FHoo-LITHQGRAPHER. WASHINGTON. n c.

Yfor use.

UNITED STATEs PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH POZNANSKI, OF YORK, N. Y.

IMPROVEMENT IN TOOTH-PICK HOLDERS.

ASpeciiication forming part'ot Letters Patent N o. 186,952, dated February 6, 1877; application iilcd May 1, 1876.

.To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JOSEPH PozNANsKr, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented an Improvement in Tooth-Pick Holders 5 and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to'the accompanying drawing, which forms part of this specification.

It is conceded that a quill makes the best tooth-pick; but it is objectionable in the form in which it is commonly used on account of its liability to work holes in the pocket and to prick the iingers when they are inserted into the pocket.

My invention relates to a holder adapted to quill tooth-picks, to obviate the above objections, but which is nevertheless adapted to the use of tooth-picks made of other material, and which is in very convenient form for being carried in the pocket.

Figure l is a full view of my improved toothpick holder, with the tooth pick fastened therein, and the parts arranged in position Fig. 2 is a partial longitudinal section of the same, having attached thereto a sliding covering tube or case, and with the parts arranged in position for carrying the tooth-pick in the pocket. Fig.l 3 is a vertical section made on the line y y, Fig. l. Fig. 4 is a cross-section indicated by the line w an in Fig. 2.

A, Figs. 2 and 4, is a sliding covering tube or case, into which the spring -jaws z' are sheathed when the instrument is not in use. The springjaws i are united at one end, as shown at a, Figs. 1, 2, and 3, and at the other end is pivoted the tooth-pick holder proper, h,

by a pivot, p.

The holder his represented to be of tubular form in the drawings; but the precise form of this part of the instrument is immaterial to my invention as a holder of any form pivoted to the spring-jaws t may be employed. In case the holder h is made tubular, the jaws t' are, at the ends to which the holder is pivoted, made concave on their inner sides, to clasp and retain the pivoted holder h with sufficient firmness, when the holder is turned into either of the positions shown in Figs. 1 and 2, but not so firmly as to prevent the easy reversal of the position of said holder.

In the interior of the holder h, when the tubular form of the same is employed, is fastened a conical core or wedge, c, between which and the shell of the holder the tooth-pick is inserted, the wedging action of the core and shell of the holder serving to fasten the pick firmly therein.

The spring-jaws t and the reversible holder h may be made either with the case A, as shown in Fig. 2, or without the case A, as shown in-Fig. 3. When the case A is provided the springjaws t slide into, or out of, said case, the spring-jaws abutting against the end of .said case, when said jaws are slid in as far as they can go, as shown in Fig. 2, a pin, p', placed between said jaws and riveted to the case, limiting the outward sliding of the jaws.

This construction enables much shorter tooth-picks to be used than when no holder is employed, as the saidtooth-pick can be out very short, and still remain useful. When made of quill, two or more toothpicks may be cut from a single quill instead of one, as heretofore.

I claim- In combination with the spring-jaws 'i and reversible tooth-pick holder h, the core or wedge c, for confining the quill in its place, substantially as set forth and shown.

JOS. POZNANSKI.

Witnesses:

HENRY T. BROWN, FRED. HAYNES. 

